Suspect sought in burglary near Covelo

Authorities are looking for a man they believe squatted in an empty vacation home near Covelo and stole items from a neighboring cabin while armed with a shotgun, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies were summoned at 9 p.m. Saturday a vacation cabin off of Highway 162, near Covelo, and learned someone allegedly broke into the cabin and stole items inside.

The man who reported the burglary Aug. 3 told deputies he had walked to a neighboring cabin and had seen through a window that some of his property was inside, according to the MCSO. He contacted the neighboring property owner and learned no one was supposed to be at the cabin.

The next day, deputies met with the reporting party to investigation further. They also spoke with the owner of the second cabin where the stolen property was seen and learned no one was supposed to be there, according to the MCSO.

Deputies walked to the second cabin and spotted a man outside. They tried to talk to the man, who allegedly picked up a gun later identified as a makeshift shotgun, and started running away. Deputies ordered him to drop the gun several times, and the man reportedly threw it to the ground as he ran down the Eel River canyon toward Dos Rios, according to the MCSO.

The second cabin was cleared and authorities found no additional suspects, according to the MCSO. Deputies found the gun dropped by the running man and found it was a crudely-fashioned shotgun made of plumbing materials and loaded with a 12-gauge shotgun round, according to the MCSO.

Deputies also found the allegedly stolen property and returned it to the reporting party. Further investigation revealed that the second cabin had also been entered through a window, according to the MCSO, and it appeared the suspect was a transient who had taken up residence there.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian man in his mid 40s to early 50s, 5-feet, 9 inches to 6 feet tall with brown hair and a gray beard. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a tan beanie-type cap. Anyone with information about him is urged to contact Sgt. Matt Kendall of the MCSO at 463-4086.